NHL.com will identify key EDGE stats for major offseason moves. Today, we look at defensemen Mikhail Sergachev and John Marino after they were traded to the Utah Hockey Club at the 2024 NHL Draft.
The Utah Hockey Club became one of the most-improved teams at the 2024 Upper Deck NHL Draft at Sphere, acquiring defensemen Mikhail Sergachev and John Marino in separate deals and selecting forward prospect Tij Iginla with the No. 6 pick.
Sergachev was limited to 34 regular-season games for the Tampa Bay Lightning this season after sustaining a long-term leg injury (broken fibula, tibia) but surprisingly returned for the final two games of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Sergachev has thrived in both surface-level and advanced stats in the past and now has a chance to be the clear No. 1 option at the position in Utah after playing behind one of the League’s elite options in Victor Hedman for most of his career.
The 26-year-old Sergachev won the Stanley Cup with the Lightning in 2020 and 2021 and had a breakout season in 2022-23 with NHL career highs in points (64; tied for 10th among defensemen), assists (54; eighth at position), power-play points (27; tied for 10th) and tying his best goal total (10). That was the only season that Sergachev had a frequent first power-play role over Hedman – usage that he will now likely get whenever healthy with Utah.
Per NHL EDGE stats, Sergachev ranked in the 92nd percentile in top shot speed (98.92 miles per hour) and 96th percentile in average shot speed (68.34 mph) this season. In 2022-23, during his best season, Sergachev was among the EDGE leaders in categories like total skating distance (253 miles; 91st percentile), top shot speed (100.17 mph; 97th percentile), average shot speed (66.16 mph; 95th percentile), long-range shots on goal (100; 98th percentile; 10th in NHL) and long-range goals (seven; 98th percentile; tied for sixth in League).
Sergachev and Marino (acquired from New Jersey Devils) have both excelled in the neutral zone, which could help Utah spur offensive zone entries next season; in 2022-23, Sergachev ranked in the 85th percentile in neutral zone time (17.2 percent) on the power play, the percentage of time that the puck spends in the neutral zone while the player is on the ice and the game clock is running.
This season, Marino ranked in the 93rd percentile in neutral zone time at all strengths (18.7 percent) and 96th percentile at even strength (19.5; tied for eighth in NHL) despite New Jersey missing the playoffs this past season. In 2022-23, when the Devils made the playoffs and won a round against the New York Rangers, Marino ranked in the 71st percentile in long-range shots on goal (35) during that regular season.
These defensemen additions join Sean Durzi on Utah’s back end and should benefit from exposure to the talented young forward group of the former Arizona Coyotes, featuring Clayton Keller, Logan Cooley, Dylan Guenther and rookie Josh Doan. Iginla, Hockey Hall of Fame player Jarome Iginla’s son, could also factor into the top-six forward group down the road.
Playing in front of breakout goalie Connor Ingram (six shutouts this past regular season; tied for NHL lead), Sergachev could reach new heights as a do-it-all defenseman with a ceiling of being a top 10 player at the position again – perhaps even top five – and leading Utah to the playoffs as early as next season.
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